Imphal, July 16: Manipur will soon have its first Automated Vehicle Inspection and Certification (I&C) Centre to improve road safety and reduce pollution. A tripartite agreement was signed today between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the Government of Manipur, and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for setting up the new centre.
In a statement issued and signed by director directorate of transport, Manipur, Khumanthem Diana on Wednesday said the vehicle testing centre will be built at Teramakhong village (No. 76-Tellou) under Lamlai assembly constituency in Imphal East district. The project will cost Rs 14.25 crore and will be fully funded by MoRTH.
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The upcoming facility will have two lanes – one for heavy vehicles and another for light motor vehicles – and will be equipped with modern machines to check important vehicle features like brakes, emission levels, suspension, headlights, and chassis condition.
Currently, Manipur does not have any automated testing station. Fitness certificates for commercial and light vehicles are still being issued manually by District Transport Officers (DTOs). But under a central government rule issued in September 2023, all vehicle fitness testing must be done through Automated Testing Stations (ATS).
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Once the centre is operational, it will test both public and private vehicles. Officials say the new system will make the testing process fairer, more accurate, and faster. It is also expected to help reduce road accidents and improve the air quality.
The I&C Centre is being seen as a big step towards modernising Manipur’s transport system and enforcing national safety standards more effectively.
(Newmai News Network)
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